The project, titled Youth Sexuality and Sexual Risk in a Digital Era (DIGISEX), examines how digital media has influenced sexuality among today’s youth and is led by Lars Roar Frøyland.
“It’s a great honour to pass through this highly competitive process,” says Frøyland.
“The project builds on several smaller research initiatives on related topics over recent years. Now we have the opportunity, as a research group, to dive deeper into this area.”
Studying the interaction between digital and physical sexuality
DIGISEX will explore both the positive and negative aspects of digital media in relation to youth sexuality.
On one hand, digital platforms provide new opportunities for learning about sex and sexual socialisation. On the other hand, they also represent a new arena for sexual violations, making it crucial to understand how young people navigate these opportunities and risks.
The researchers will examine how young people incorporate digital media into their sexual lives, the interplay between digital and physical sexuality, and how new practices may contribute to increased sexual risk. The project draws on existing qualitative and quantitative data on youth sexuality.
The DIGISEX project aims to generate new knowledge on how digital media shapes youth sexuality and how society can balance the opportunities and risks accompanying digital developments.
Years of work on the topic
“We are incredibly proud at NOVA today,” says Institute Director Guro Ødegård at NOVA, OsloMet.
“The DIGISEX project builds on data collections from NOVA’s Domestic Violence Research Programme and the institute’s focus on generating new knowledge about youth, sexuality, and digital lives.”
“In addition to being an outstanding researcher, Lars Roar Frøyland excels at leveraging the strong research environment around him to develop projects that provide valuable insights into complex topics,” adds Ødegård.
The project is funded through the Research Council’s open, national competition for all disciplines and themes, and it received funding in the early career category. The success rate for applications was 27 per cent.
About the research team
Project leader Lars Roar Frøyland has prior experience researching youth and sexual violations.
In addition to Frøyland, the research team includes both early-career researchers and established experts in youth studies, sexuality, and sexual violence: Kari Stefansen, Rikke Tokle, Mette Løvgren, Ellen Schwencke, Tilmann von Soest, and Willy Pedersen.
